


Plumeria

by ar_tris_t



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Hanahaki AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-05-17 01:58:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ar_tris_t/pseuds/ar_tris_t
Summary: Ten fell for Johnny with every little thing he did, but it wasn't until after he fell, that the flower petals of the Frangipani start showing up.  That's when Ten knew he was screwed.





	1. Xaramphbth

Hanahaki Disease: a disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only; strong friendship is not enough), or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings for their love also disappear.

It was rare, but there were always reports when there was a case. People loved a tragedy. The true tragedies, however, were when nobody ever found out about the disease, and the victim passed away in a bloody, rottingly sweet silence. 

Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul, a nineteen year old boy who used the nickname Ten, knew he was screwed the first time he coughed up those yellow and white petals. He had fallen in love with a man who would never love him back.

Johnny Seo, the stupid American boy that Ten met when he moved to Korea, was a year older than him. He was charming, kind, and a total dweeb. His looks weren’t exactly anything sneeze at either, but he was the closest Ten had to a best friend. Johnny, and Taeyong.

Though that wasn’t to say that Ten didn’t have other friends. He was friends with the boys at the cafe, Mark and Donghyuck. He was friends with the boys at the dance studio that he worked at as an instructor, Sicheng and Lucas and Jaehyun. The latter two teased him for his height, much as Johnny did. 

Ten couldn't pinpoint the day that he fell in love with Johnny. There were things that were telling in the time that lead up to him contracting the disease. He knew the exact date of that. 

The petals didn't show up for a year, four months, and thirteen days. Ten knew, because he met Johnny on his birthday.


	2. Neung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 537 days until Ten contracts Hanahaki  
> 37 days until he meets Johnny Seo.

Late January. It was cold. Ten shivered and pulled his jacket closer to him in attempt to feel warmth. He had been in Korea for a few months now, and he had a steady job at this point. He just wondered if the weather damage to his skin was worth it, as he hurried from the train to his studio. He would not be late for work because of the boy next door that couldn’t keep his mouth to himself. Not that Ten didn’t like Doyoung, he was just distracting. 

The studio was hardly any warmer than outside, but Ten supposed that he shouldn’t complain. He was supposed to be dancing, and he would warm up once he was moving. 

Ten didn’t actually have any classes scheduled, but he liked to go in on those kind of days so that he could just let himself go. He knew his studio was seldom used when he didn’t have students, and so he was free to make up something to whatever he was listening to. That day, it was a new single from one of his favorite artists - one he had been listening to all day already, figuring out the rhythm, the ways he could twist his body to the beat before he even stepped foot in the studio.

Pulling his earbuds out of his ears, Ten unlocked his favorite room on Earth, a smile on his face. He stepped into the room with the mirrored walls and the wooden floors and dropped his bag by the stereo so that he could plug his phone in and continue listening to the song on repeat as he shed his heavy winter jacket and his hat and his street shoes, trading them for his well-worn dance shoes. They weren’t his first pair, by far, but they were similar to them. He didn’t adapt to new very well.

Ten took a deep breath, feeling the music in all of his body as he stood in the middle of the room. He made sure the glass door was once again closed before he set to work.

It wasn’t until his friend Jaehyun came by the studio did he take a break for something other than water. He was covered in sweat and the cool air was welcomed rather than despised then. He pushed himself on days like this, and his friends knew that well.

“Hey, Ten!” Jaehyun was especially cheerful, the Thai boy noted. He must be coming to ask if he wants to join them for lunch. He usually was more excitable when it came to food. Ten waved, catching his breath and finishing his water bottle. He’d have to fill it again.

“Lunch?” Ten asked as he stood up, wiping his forehead with the hem of his shirt. Jaehyun nodded, smiling. 

“Lucas and Sicheng and me were going out for burgers, are you going to join us?” Jaehyun, though that wasn’t his legal name, tilted his head. He knew that sometimes Ten joined them, but often times he would bring lunch with him and rely on him to remember to eat. The shorter male hummed.

“Alright, as long as you don’t try to steal my fries this time. You ate more of them than I did the last time. And you made a mess of my ketchup.” The older male glared playfully at Jaehyun and went to turn off his music, unplugging his phone and plopping down to change shoes again. “I assume we’re going now?” 

Jaehyun nodded. “As soon as we can go. Lucas is trying to convince a friend from his college to come with, but I’m not sure that’s gonna happen. Last I checked, Jungwoo was a choir kid, and the choir kids don’t like us dancers.” Ten chuckled. He was pretty sure that Jaehyun had a crush on a girl in his and Lucas’s college choir.

“Alright, Jaehyun. Let’s go get something to eat then.” Ten held his hands out to the other male and made a noise until he reached to help him stand up. He was smirking the whole time that he was being pulled to his feet. “Are we going to meet them there?” He grabbed his jacket and left his dance bag and shoes on the floor as he went to collect his phone. He would just lock the studio door and come back to practice more after.

Jaehyun hummed in affirmation and led Ten through the building, away from his safe room and out into the frigid air of the outside. He pulled his jacket tight around him and shivered, giving Jaehyun a dirty look for making him cold again. “Are we going to the regular place or some random place that Lucas thought sounded like it might be good and then we’ll find out that they actually closed about three months ago?”

The younger boy laughed. “Ah, the regular place, thank God.” He remembered how badly Ten wanted to strangle Lucas when that had happened a few weeks prior.

“Good.” Ten led Jaehyun through the crowded city streets and smiled when he saw their regular place come up in his field of vision. It was a nice place, and run by a nice pair of business partners. Ten wondered if they were something more, but it wasn’t his place to ask.

Taeil, one of the owners, waved to Jaehyun and Ten when they entered. “Hey you two~! There’s a booth in the back that you guys can take.” He pointed, smiling.

Ten smiled and nodded. “How’s Yuta?” He stopped to make conversation and Taeil looked down. “He’s fine, but he’s in the kitchen today. You know how much he hates that.” The older male shrugged, and Ten rolled his eyes. 

“And yet here you are, on the floor, his favorite job.” Ten shot Taeil a look and the taller man shook his head and shooed him to the back. The dancer went to the booth to join Jaehyun and the younger wiggled his eyebrows. Ten slid in next to him and punched his shoulder. “Hey, let’s see if Lucas convinces his friend to join us.” Jaehyun chuckled and nodded, pulling out the menus that were stored at the table, against the wall.

Ten was sure he knew the menu by heart, but he looked at it regardless, already knowing which burger he would get. He always got the classic garden burger. 

“And that must be Jungwoo,” Jaehyun said to Ten, nudging him and making him look at the door, where Lucas was entering with a rather pretty man with nice looking lips.

“Hey loser, nice to see you came out of the hole that is your dance studio,” Lucas said as he slid into the booth across from Jaehyun, and Jungwoo across from Ten. The Thai dancer stuck his tongue out at the tall Chinese man before introducing himself to the new person.

“I’m Ten, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He smiled, holding out his hand. The choir boy shook, smiling kindly right back. 

“Jungwoo, pleasure to meet you too. Is Ten actually your name?” He tilted his head. Ten got that question a lot.

“No, but it’s easier than my real name.” He chuckled and pulled his hand back, handing his menu to Jungwoo, who accepted it. Jaehyun didn’t bother giving his to Lucas, who had already pulled one from the spot they were usually sandwiched in.

The lunch was nice, Ten recalled, but it had been the very first day he had seen Johnny. He hadn’t met him that day, but he had seen him with Taeyong outside of the burger shop. If it hadn’t been for Jungwoo, he would have met the man he fell in love with a bit earlier. Ten wondered if that would have changed anything.


	3. Saawng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 500 days until Ten contracts Hanahaki

After having lived in Korea for so long, Ten was used to his long days in the studio, but on his birthday, his best friend Taeyong was not having Ten spend it locked up in his practice room. He was insistent on having a proper twenty-first. 

“Come on, I’m not an ass, I won’t make you pay for your drinks or anything. You can invite some of your dancer friends and I’ll bring along someone I think you should meet.” Taeyong was begging Ten to have a night out at some bar, and Ten rolled his eyes. He glanced at his phone to see how long Taeyong had been trying to convince him. Six minutes and thirty-seven seconds. He must have really wanted this, because he usually gave up by now.

“You can’t ditch me or try to set me up either. You gotta promise, Tae.” The older boy had tried to set Ten up with various men and women, not knowing his sexual preference

Taeyong gasped at the apparent victory. “Of course! Not on your birthday, I promise!” Ten could hear the smile over the line and rolled his eyes again. 

“Yeah, yeah. Be sure to text me the name of the place and the time you want me there. I gotta go to work.” He actually didn’t, but he wanted to help Lucas with his college dance assignment. He was supposed to make a three man choreo and there was a practice scheduled. Lucas didn’t know it was Ten’s birthday. None of the dancers knew, since Ten was positive that none of them would let him near the building if they did.

“Mmmm, okay, Ten! I’ll see you then, and be sure to dress up! I don’t want you wearing your ratty practice clothes, we’re going to a nice club.” And with that, Taeyong hung up. Calls with him usually went his way because he was so stubborn and Ten just didn’t care enough to prevent him from getting what he wanted.

And with that, Ten pocketed his phone, and waited for his bus. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far off.

A few hours into practice with the giant Chinese boy, and Ten decided it was time to invite him and tell him about his birthday.

“Lucas.” It took three times before Ten had the boy’s attention. “Wanna come out with me and a friend tonight? I wanna invite Sicheng too, and we’ll meet up with Taeyong and his friend.” Lucas nodded, smiling widely. He thought Taeyong was handsome and usually spent any time near him staring probably way longer than any normal person would. Taeyong didn’t mind, he was used to attention like that.

“Please? What’s the occasion?” He nudged Ten’s side, wiggling his eyebrow. 

“Uh, my birthday..” Ten turned away, and Lucas gasped loudly. 

“What the hell, Ten? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He pulled away from Ten’s side and looked scandalized. “I’m tattling!” He stuck out his tongue and ran to find Sicheng, who was in his own studio at the time.

Ten’s eyes widened and he ran after Lucas. “Hey, no, stop! I’ll tell him!” 

“No, you won’t, I’m gonna tell him because you’re the one who decided you weren’t gonna tell us until your friend made you invite us to a party.” Ten forgot how smart Lucas was and scowled.

“Stop! Noooooo…” Ten pouted and pulled on Lucas’s shirt to try and stop him.

“Sicheng! Sicheng, Sicheng, guess what?” Lucas burst into his friend’s practice room, where he had a few other dancers, talking about something for a video.

The male looked up, surprised by Lucas and Ten bursting into the room. “Um, what..?”

Lucas smiled widely. “It’s Ten’s birthday!! And he didn’t tell us!” Sicheng blinked. 

“What? Ten!” He pouted at the Thai boy and Ten felt bad immediately. 

“I’m sorry, guys. I knew that as soon as you found out, you wouldn’t let me in the front door.” He looked down, disappointed. “But, uh, I’m going out tonight, and did you wanna come with, Sicheng?” The quiet boy smiled widely and nodded. 

“Yeah! Are you coming, Lucas?” The giant of a man smiled wide and nodded. 

“Of course! I wanna hang out with Taeyong and his mystery friend and you two.” he turned to Ten. “But there’s no way that I’m gonna let you keep practicing with me. Let’s go get you a gift. I’m thinking clothes or a new pair of dance shoes?” Ten groaned He hated getting stuff for his birthday. He would rather get money and pay for bills.

“Okay, fine, whatever. Let’s just go and get it over with.” Ten grabbed Lucas’s arm and dragged him back to the studio with their stuff. Lucas chuckled.

A few hours later, Ten was wearing skinny jeans and eyeliner and waiting in a line with Taeyong and Sicheng. Lucas had yet to show up and the friend Taeyong was talking about was inside. The Chinese boy was excited. He never went to clubs. 

“So, is there a bar?” Taeyong chuckled at the younger’s question.

“No, Ten here doesn’t like to drink. It would be a waste because where’s the fun in drinking without the birthday boy?” He laughed more completely and slung an arm around the Thai boy. “C’mon, smile! You’re gonna make a new friend and you’ll have a good birthday. I promise I didn’t get you a gift, but I can’t guarantee that he didn’t. He’s from America and real big on giving.” Ten rolled his eyes. This seemed like a trap.

The club was dark inside, but lighter than the dark outside. The boys could all see each other just fine and Ten was glad. He didn’t like clubs very much and was mostly humoring Taeyong. 

“So where’s this friend of yours?” Ten spoke over the music, which wasn’t super loud. The main DJ for the night hadn’t showed up yet. 

“Um.. he said he was in the back at a table. C’mon.” The older male took a hold of Ten’s hand and pulled him through the throng of people, Sicheng following along with Lucas, who had finally showed up. Ten was resigned to dancing all night with probably Lucas, until he saw the boy sitting at a table alone with a golden gift bag, the table that Taeyong was currently dragging him towards. Ten was speechless. The man was so pretty. 

“Ten! This is Johnny, Johnny this is Ten, Lucas, and Sicheng. Ten, Johnny likes to dance too!” Taeyong chuckled. Ten forgot how to form words. 

“Hey Ten! I heard it was your birthday, I hope you don’t mind me being here.. ah, here!” The tall, black haired man held out the gift bag to ten. Ten smiled and nodded. 

“Thank you..” His smile was oddly genuine and he opened the gift. Inside was a stuffed bear with a pink leotard and tutu and ballet shoes, and a gift card to a popular shop to get dance gear. He smiled. “It’s perfect. Thanks, Johnny.” 

It felt like every day since then, Lucas teased Ten about thinking Johnny was pretty, and Ten would roll his eyes, telling the half Thai, half Chinese boy that he was insane. One day, he realized that Lucas wasn’t insane. 

The five boys all sat and talked, drinking water until the main DJ showed up. Ten found himself bobbing his head to the beat and itching to dance, but he wouldn’t go out there alone. 

“Come on,” Johnny said. “Let’s go.” Lucas and Taeyong we’re out dancing already and Sicheng was texting someone with a goofy smile on his face. Ten blinked and looked at the American. 

“What?” His eyebrows pulled in towards one another. 

“Dance. Let’s go dance. C’mon.” He smiled and Ten couldn’t say no. Not to that face. He let Johnny lead him out and he remembered that being one of the best birthdays he had ever had. He didn’t know yet if it would be one of his last.


End file.
